| Pages:
1
2 |
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
A Water Witch In Baja
DOWSING ... also known as Water Witching
"Water witching" refers in general to the ancient practice of using a forked stick, rod, pendulum, or similar device to locate groundwater mostly, but
also buried treasure and even missing people.
Confusion exists as to the first historical reference to the divining rod as an instrument to locate water. Either 1568 or 1630 are cited as the first
written references. In any event, from about that time on, the divining rod was used in southern Europe in search of water.
A while back (1975), we used the craft of dowsing (using bent metal rods) to locate a fresh-water source in Baja Sur, which as you know, is a very
arid place. Here a steady supply of usable fresh water is like gold.
When Thomas Edison was once asked, 'What is electricity?' He replied, "I don't know ...but it's there, so let's
use it."
The same assertion applies to dowsing. We don't really know what it is, but we can't deny it's existence, so we use it. History shows us that we
have been dowsing for thousands of years. The photo below shows a cave painting depicting a water-witcher using a forked stick. The painting on the
rock was discovered in the Atlas Mountains in North Africa and was carbon-dated to be 8000 years old.
Here's when we used Water-witching in Baja.
A while back (1975), we used the craft of 'dowsing' to locate a fresh-water source in Baja Sur, which as you well know, is a very arid land. A
source of fresh water is golden.
For our situation, the dowser was Blackjack, here shown in this collage. As some of you may know, Blackjack (JW Black) was
the ramrod on many expedition trips into Baja by author and amatuer anthropologist, Earl Stanley Gardner. Gardner is also known for his
Perry Mason mystery short stories. Blackjack and his wife, Lois, fondly called him Uncle Earl during our many campfire talks about those expeditions.
Blackjack was a very good friend for many years. We met in those very early days at Coyote Bay and these collages show some of the times and events
we shared in Baja ...back-in-the-day.
Here's an anecdote about Blackjack. One night, when a bunch of us were sitting around my fire pit, the discussion turned to the nuclear power plant
incident at 3-Mile Island near Middleton, Pennsylvania. It had just happened a week before and was the talk of the world at that time.
Over our fire pit a friend from Las Vegas said to Blackjack,
"JW, you know a lot about a lot of things. Can you explain to us how one of those nuclear reactors work?"
Blackjack (JW) was quiet for a bit, just sat there in his denim shirt with the Beechnut bag in the pocket, wearing his old campaign hat with a
dried-up scorpion on the band, and then spit a stream of tobacco into the fire.
He said, "Look here, Lloyd, do you know what bear scat looks like?"
"What?..uh, No. What's that got to do with it?", Lloyd says.
JW..."How about sheep pellets? Know about those?"
Llloyd.."Hell no, I'm from Vegas, you know that, JW."
JW..."Do you know what buffalo chips are?"
Lloyd..."Nope...no idea."
JW then spits again and says, "Well, look here, Lloyd. You want me to explain a nuclear reactor to you and you don't know sh_t."
.
On with the quest for water....
Blackjack mentions to us some obvious benefits of a water source for the Mulege palm forests as an example. Now this where my story begins...Our
ranchero friend, Manuel Diaz, had heard of Blackjack's ability to dowse water and asked him if he could locate some water on his ranchland in the
hills behind Coyote Bay. Blackjack gladly offered his services and invited me to accompany them on this search for water.
Oddly for a water-witcher, he didn't like getting wet, and he would only go boating close by his camp and in calm water. I took him out fishing just
once...he got sprayed with saltwater and that was the end of that.
In JW's prototype 'Grasshopper', we drove back into Manuel's high country land looking for likely spots to find water. Being a very active
inventor, Blackjack later manufactured his Grasshoppers at his shop in Paradise Ca. The later cars has a top with small port holes on the side and has
small front fenders they turn with the wheels. The rear fenders are larger and cover more of the tire. It was a very fun machine to expore the Baja
outbacks.
.
This is from high above Conception Bay.
We drove over some more level terrain, checking many possible locations. I was looking the countryside over and thinking...'Oh-oh, Blackjack.
Slim chance of water around here.' Lots of lizards, though, if that helps.
Blackjack would get out and use his forked metal wands every now and then. I'd point out the occasional lizard sunning itslef on a rock. And some
bleached bones here and there.
He got a good read on this particular stop. I watched with a healthy amount of skepticism as the metal rods began to
cross....harump-harump. I liked Blackjack a lot for many reasons, not the least of which was his wry sense of humor. So I was thinking,
'Atta boy, Blackjack...make those wands cross and get Manuel all excited!'
Blackjack finishes his discovery and tells Manuel this is a good place to dig....and how deep the water was to boot!
Hoo-boy! Now I'm choking back my guffaws and almost splitting my sides. A chukwalla skuttles off into the spiked scrub..
"Manuel, dig here, amigo. Mucho agua."
Intrigued by Blackjacks findings and wanting to see for himself about this new craft, Manuel trys it ..and Bingo...the wands cross and
he's become a believer! Amigo Manuel has a huge grin on his face as does Blackjack.
I'm getting a bit perplexed, 'Hmm...could it be?'
Okay, okay... I sure don't want to be left out...and so I give it a go. Blackjack smiles wryly at me and hands me the wands. I hold them straight
out and start walking, almost sorry to have to debunk this water-witching pony show.
And then...try as I might, I could NOT stop those wands from crossing. YES...I am now a disciple of the art of dowsing.
...And alien abduction, too, but that's another story.
Well, we'd located water for Manuel on his high ranch and he was all set to dig his well to water his avacodos or start a lizard spa. We
left him to it and set off on another water quest.
Now it's my turn to ask for water. After my baptism into the brotherhood of water-witchers, I decide to rely on Blackjack to find our Coyote Bay
houses a reliable water source...which he did in short order on my rear lot. Marching around with his wands he indicated the best area to find fresh
water. He said the find indicated a large amount of water and not deep at all...within 15 feet. We quickly dug a test well and sure enough, there
was plenty of fresh water. Many onlookers were amazed and happy. No more frequent trips to Mulege to fill truck tanks!
With his guidance and with the help of neighbors and interested helpers, we start construction on a water tower that will eventually supply 10 homes
and a school. By the way, Blackjack was also an expert welder, doing all the layouts and then making all the welds on this tower. That tower stood
the test of time for 40 years.
Nearing the end of construction, and realizing that raising the tower was going to take more than a rope and pulley with some strong backs, I went
looking for help..and luckily found these campers on Coyote Beach with a Search and Rescue truck with a powerful front winch. All went well and we
raised the tower without a problem. We used a gin pole to lift 4 water pilars on top. Almost time to pump the water up and give it The Test.
Old Baja vets will know that this experience was like emerging out of the dark ages to have all that fresh water by merely opening a faucet. Almost a
spiritual moment. I won't say I cried, but I did get a little giddy while standing under that tower and letting it overflow in the heat of
damn-its-hot summers....oh what joy that was! My own 40ft cool refreshing waterfall! I was in a decadent heaven.
In addition, all of that water-witching made this possible. Life became good ...back-in-the-day.
Muchas Gracias, Blackjack!
[Edited on 1-28-2015 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15938
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
|
|
Damn good!
That grasshopper looks like a sporty Munsters Mobile.
|
|
|
sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
Member Is Offline
|
|
Was with a backhoe operator yrs.ago, looking for
underground pipe. He shows me 2 metal rods kinda
like metal coat hanger
pieces, looked like a snipe hunt
to me.One in each hand, loosely held, the 2 tips of
the rods would converge over, probably any thing
underground, water , metal.etc., I'm a skeptic, after
that display a believer
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64547
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
Thanks Roger... a great story!
J.W. Black was also one of the first to drive to Mission Santa Maria in one of his Grasshopper's...
|
|
|
Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
|
|
Need water? Just ask old Jonas.
It starts 8:00 minutes into the episode.
|
|
|
roundtuit
Senior Nomad
Posts: 607
Registered: 12-21-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wife's Job
|
|
Witching does work I use two brass wielding rods and have had good results
Never learned from a book-Only from mistakes, mine and yours
|
|
|
bledito
Nomad
Posts: 420
Registered: 7-6-2013
Member Is Offline
|
|
I wworked in the natural gas industry for over 30 years and used these same rod steel or copper to locate underground utilities be it a gas line or
water service. in the method of use the rods would turn outward as you crossed the path of the utilty run pointing out the direction it ran. I have
never tried to locate water with it though perhaps the line of flow is picked up. will have to try it out next time i'm messsin around in baja and see
if it does the trick or not. I have also found that not everybody has the ability to do it as i have taught many people over the years how to do it,
some can do it and other can't don't know why that is. maybe it has something to do with the persons ability to conduct magnatizem or conduct
electricity.
|
|
|
AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5849
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retireded
|
|
In the late 70s, near Grass Valley CA, my dad had a local dowser come out and locate the best spots to drill a couple of wells. He used a pair of
rods just like the ones in Pompano's photos, which he could only work with for short periods of time due to arthritis in both hands.
He located a couple of good spots which later proved to be productive wells. one of them was near a dry hole that had already been drilled, but missed
the aquifier, proving that we couldn't just drill anywhere and find water.
Dad tried his skills with the rods, and got nothing. The old guy came over to dad, and lightly placed his hands on Dad's wrists, and the rods crossed
like they did when he was using them.
I don't have the touch either, but I am a believer!
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
|
|
|
fish101
Nomad
Posts: 132
Registered: 7-2-2011
Location: Loreto BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: energized
|
|
Great story, Roger.. Brings back memories of my early days being a "DOWSER" or Water Witch in Vermont. My parents had hired a local dowser to look
for a good source of water for our new home in the hills. Yes, he found a spring very close to the house, however, in a very short time, it dried up.
Dad tried his hand at Dowsing, but did not work for him and I don't think he really believed in it either. But, I tried it and it worked for me.
During that summer, I had many calls from neighboring friends of my parents, saying that their water source had dried up. I quit my part time job that
summer to attend to the Water Witching and finding that the main vein of water to their springs had moved and in some cases at least two feet. I could
not get it to work with the metal rods, but used the forked branches from a tree, but it had to be a fruit bearing tree (peach, cherry,, etc). A lot
of non-believers during that time, but after they dug their wells where I had predicted, I think they started believing. Some of these water holes
were dug in the 50's and are still being used by my friends in Vt.. I am now in Loreto BCS, so maybe I should get the old witching sticks out to see
if I can find any water in those hills behind us?? Thanks, Roger.
|
|
|
David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64547
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
|
|
I love this stuff... I watched a witcher perform in Baja once... and while it looks a little flaky, there's enough positive results to not dismiss it.
Seems magnetic fields have an affect and metals or water are conductive. I used the welding rod tool method like J.W. Black in Roger's photos, and
they crossed when I walked over a bottle of water! I guess I was a believer?!
|
|
|
willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by David K  | | I love this stuff... I watched a witcher perform in Baja once... and while it looks a little flaky, there's enough positive results to not dismiss it.
Seems magnetic fields have an affect and metals or water are conductive. I used the welding rod tool method like J.W. Black in Roger's photos, and
they crossed when I walked over a bottle of water! I guess I was a believer?! |
bet you got that Ouija board pretty dialed in too eh?
|
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
My old amigo, Blackjack, was a very unassuming...yet a very impressive... character. I thoroughly enjoyed being around
him. His ability to tackle and solve problems was, and is, typical of the once common 'can-do' attitude as opposed to many of today's self-entitled
who merely wait for some directive and a government handout.
As for his ability, and so many others throughout history, to dowse or 'witch' water, nobody can really explain How it works, just that it Does. Call
it electro-magnetism, a feat of the mind via self-assurance, whatever....I don't think we can call it voo-doo and categorize it in the Occult anymore
like the church did in the Spanish Inquisition. Rather than Occult, we might better list it in the Arcane Practices file?
I am pleased to see how many have experience or first-hand knowledge of dowsing. My uncle Norman had the knack and used his ability on his farm. He
never advertised the fact, but many came seeking his help.
An interesting subject - water witching. Empirical proof helps us validate what we should and shouldn't believe, but sometimes cold hard facts just
aren't available. Even when we don't have solid proof, however, humans still tend to extend their sense of belief to certain phenomenon.
A few notable people have been dowsers or have written of it's success.
Dr. Karl Berg, Arch-Bishop of Salzburg
Henry the VIII
Vernon Cameron
Leonardo De Vinci
Robert Boyle
Charles Richet
Albert Einstein,
General Rommel
General Patton
Some Supporters of Dowsing:
The Encyclopedia Britannica The American Academy of Science
The Academy of Sciences of Paris. The Canadian Ministry of Agriculture
Anyhoo, I'm not half-bad at it, either, and once found an unrecorded and lost waterline at a friend's house. Sure saved a lot of money on a backhoe
rental.
About all this water-witching.....it's okay to be skeptical. Like gravity, karma, or women's intuition... we know it's there, we just can't quite see
it yet. 
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
Sweetwater
Senior Nomad
Posts: 915
Registered: 11-26-2010
Member Is Offline
Mood: chilly today hot tomale
|
|
There was once a young lady named Hazel
who was called to give an appraisal
She pulled out a stick
and found water real quick
that amazing girl, Witch Hazel
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
|
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
Bravo, Sweetwater...a great limerick for this thread. I like it, my mother's name is Hazel. 
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
Sweetwater
Senior Nomad
Posts: 915
Registered: 11-26-2010
Member Is Offline
Mood: chilly today hot tomale
|
|
Glad you enjoyed that.....of course I had no idea that Hazel was your mom....the limerick play is on witch hazel....I wonder if anyone still uses it
as an aftershave......it's pretty old school......
[Edited on 1-29-2015 by Sweetwater]
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
|
|
|
Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
|
|
I read you, Sweetwater..all is good. One good limerick deserves another.
Whether right-wing or left, we have mothers,
But some are more pushy than others.
We can see Barbara Bush
Giving Jeb just a push
To make for historical brothers.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
|
|
|
bledito
Nomad
Posts: 420
Registered: 7-6-2013
Member Is Offline
|
|
note the rods would pick up overhead wires as well so it worked in both directions up and down.
|
|
|
Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5851
Registered: 7-18-2011
Member Is Offline
|
|
Great story, thread title, and photos but............................and I know most people posting here don't believe in dowsing, but just for those
that do:
"Most dowsers do not consider it important to doubt their dowsing powers or to wonder if they are self-deceived. They never consider doing a
controlled scientific test of their powers. They think that the fact that they have been successful over the years at dowsing is proof enough. When
dowsers are scientifically tested and fail, they generally react with genuine surprise. Typical is what happened when James Randi tested some dowsers
using a protocol they all agreed upon. If they could locate water in underground pipes at an 80% success rate they would get $10,000 (now the prize is
over $1,000,000). All the dowsers failed the test, though each claimed to be highly successful in finding water using a variety of non-scientific
instruments, including a pendulum. Says Randi, "the sad fact is that dowsers are no better at finding water than anyone else. Drill a well almost
anywhere in an area where water is geologically possible, and you will find it."
- skepdic.com
[Edited on 1-29-2015 by Ateo]
|
|
|
treuboff
Nomad
Posts: 127
Registered: 8-27-2013
Location: prescott az
Member Is Offline
|
|
I have been doing this for years and your really never sure what I'm finding, but through deduction of facilities around the area I can figure out the
individual items. My Grandmother was a water witch and took 6 of us grand kids to an area where she already knew there was a underground spring. She
cut a forked willow switch and showed us how to hold it. It worked for some but not all. At work we had a fellow who was a Foursquare now Potters
house parishioner, who got wide eyed and had a scared look on his face told me I was doing the devils work. So when lightning struck while we were
working on a pole and the thunder roared I yelled you " you missed me God" That really spooked him. He started praying.
|
|
|
CortezBlue
Super Nomad
Posts: 2213
Registered: 11-14-2006
Location: Fenix/San Phelipe
Member Is Offline
|
|
Back in the 60's I had an uncle who was a witcher back in Illinois.
He used solid copper wire. He showed me how to do it and I have successfully found water lines on my property.
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
- Albert Einstein
Follow Cortez Blue
www.cortezblue.com
We put the FUNK in disFUNKtion |
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
